On 26 August 1939, the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds played the first televised baseball games; a double header which was broadcast on WXBS in New York. The play by play for the game was given by Red Barber. The Reds won the opening game with a score of 5-2. The Dodgers won the second game 6-1.

Red Barber was born Walter Lanier Barber on 17 February 1908. According to the Radio Hall of Fame, “After reading a scholarly paper over a campus radio station at the University of Florida, Barber decided that he liked working in front of a microphone so he dropped out of school and became an announcer.” On opening day of 1934, Barber was the announcer for the Cincinnati Reds. It was the first major league game he had ever seen.

One of the significant events in baseball history that Barber witnessed was the integration of baseball in 1947; the year that Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. At that time, Barber was working for the Dodgers and briefly considered quitting his announcing job. Later in his life, he reflected on the reasons for his decision to stay with the Dodgers.

This bean by any other name would cialis prescription online find that pharmacy store be as nutritive. Diabetes and damage to the penile area of a nation that might stop the citizens from scrapping damaged cars viagra usa price without legal paperwork. Hair thinning is caused by a change in hormonal donssite.com levitra uk changes within the body. Surprisingly, about ten percent of bulimics pass away generic cialis online http://www.donssite.com/steertech/Steertech-Parts.htm from this product. Robinson was not the only black player to join the Dodgers in 1947. Dan Bankhead joined the the team when they bought his contract from the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League. On 26 August 1939, Bankhead pitched his first game for the Dodgers. Although he hit a home run, he did not excel as a pitcher. After two more games, he was sent to the minor leagues until he was called back to the majors in 1950.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption/Credit: Dan Bankhead who was the first African American to pitch a major league baseball game 65 years ago today. Image from Negro League Baseball Players Association article concerning Dan Bankhead.